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Day of General Discussion on the Right to Education of Persons with Disabilities
sponsored by: Fundación Universia and UNICEF
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Room XVII, Palais des Nations, Geneva 15 April 2015
Final Programme

10.00- 10.30 a.m. Opening remarks and statements
Welcome address by DGD hosts: Mr. Lenín Moreno, Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility and Ms. María Soledad Cisternas, Chairperson, CRPD Committee

Mr. Ibrahim Salama, Director, Human Rights Treaties Division, OHCHR
Ms. Catalina Devandas, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Mr. Kishore Singh, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education

Ms. Barbara Bailey, Committee member, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

Mr. Jorge Cardona, Committee member, Committee on the Rights of the Child

10.30-12.00 Interactive panel on inclusive and quality education systems in law and policies
Moderator: Ms. Theresia Degener,member of the CRPD Committee
Ms. Mia Farah, Self-advocate, Inclusion International, Middle East and North Africa
Ms. Maryanne Diamond, Chair, International Disability Alliance
Mr. Philippe Testot-Ferry, Senior Regional Advisor, UNICEF
Ms. Rosa Blanco, Director, Chile Office, Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture
Mr. Rabjyot Singh Kohli, Self-advocate
Questions and answers (25 minutes)
Rapporteur: Facundo Chavez, Disability Advisor, OHCHR

12.00-13.00: Interactive panel on Non-exclusion on the basis of disability, reasonable accommodation and access to inclusive education systems
Moderator: Danlami Umaru Basharu,member of the CRPD Committee
Ms. Diane Richler, former President, Inclusion International
Mr. Markku Jokinen Honorary President, World Federation of the Deaf
Ms. Shivan Quinlivan, Professor, National University of Ireland, Galway
Ms. Ellis Jongerius and Ms. Henriëtte Sandvoort, Self-advocates
Mr. Facundo Chavez, Disability Advisor, OHCHR
Mr. Gopal Mitra, Programme Specialist, UNICEF
Mr. Renato Opertti, Programme Specialist, UNESCO
Rapporteur: Stefan Tromel, Senior Disability Specialist, ILO

13.00- 15.00 Lunch break
[With option to attend lunch time side events by civil society]

15.00 – 15.30 Interactive panel on non-exclusion on the basis of disability, reasonable accommodation and access to inclusive education systems (continued)
Questions and answers (25 minutes)

15.30 – 17.00 Interactive panel on support for inclusion in the general education system and individualized support measures
Moderator: Jonas Ruskus, member of the CRPD Committee

Mr. Richard Rieser, World of Inclusion/Disabled People's International
Ms. Paula Hunt, Senior Inclusive Education Expert
Ms. Praveena Sukhraj-Ely, former Deputy Chairperson, South Africa Council for the Blind
Mr. Juan Cobeñas, Asociación Azul
Ms. Agnes van Wijnen, Project Manager, In1School
Ms. Elin Martinez, Researcher, Human Rights Watch
Ms. Signe Hojsteen, representative of Disabled People’s Organizations Denmark
Questions and answers (25 minutes)
Rapporteur: Gopal Mitra, Programme Specialist, UNICEF

17.00-17.45Interactive roundtable dialogue
Moderator: Ms.Ana Pelaez Narvaez,member of the CRPD Committee

(Questions from the UN system rapporteurs and answers from Panelists: Each rapporteur will have 4 minutes to present the conclusion and 10 minutes to conduct an interactive dialogue)

17.45- 18.00 Concluding comments and closing remarks
Ms. Barbara Bailey, Committee Member, CEDAW
Mr. Jorge Cardona, Committee Member, CRC
María Soledad Cisternas,Chair of the CRPD Committee

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